The Paradigm of Social Interaction (Routledge Advances in Sociology)

The monograph __The Paradigm of Social Interaction__ presents a paradigmatic synthesis in sociology. This is a reaction to the growing paradigmatic divisions in the discipline and an attempt at fostering the cumulative development of sociological knowledge. The suggested conceptual fusion includes micro-sociological interaction theories, recent theories of organizational interactions and the experience from the study on global trends. The intention is to support the building and explanatory application of middle-range theories in all action spheres and at all micro-, mezzo- and macro-social structural levels. The paradigmatic synthesis is developed around five analytical concepts of the determinants of social interactions: environmental, technological, economic, political and cultural complexes. Another conceptual framework fostering explanations consists of social actors, relations and processes as key parameters of the social interaction paradigm. The book also examines the COVID pandemic as a multidimensional crisis, applying the synthetic paradigm as a heuristic tool and knowledge-organizing framework. It is used in the studies on social innovations, societal transformations and global social trends as well. The book will be of interest to researchers, university teachers and doctoral and master's students in the fields of sociology, social theory, critical sociology, philosophy of social sciences, innovation and societal transformation studies. The monograph The Paradigm of Social Interaction presents a paradigmatic synthesis in sociology. This is a reaction to the growing paradigmatic divisions in the discipline and an attempt at fostering the cumulative development of sociological knowledge.The suggested conceptual fusion includes micro-sociological interaction theories, recent theories of organizational interactions and the experience from the study on global trends. The intention is to support the building and explanatory application of middle-range theories in all action spheres and at all micro-, mezzo- and macro-social structural levels. The paradigmatic synthesis is developed around five analytical concepts of the determinants of social interactions: environmental, technological, economic, political and cultural complexes. Another conceptual framework fostering explanations consists of social actors, relations and processes as key parameters of the social interaction paradigm.The book also examines the COVID pandemic as a multidimensional crisis, applying the synthetic paradigm as a heuristic tool and knowledge-organizing framework. It is used in the studies on social innovations, societal transformations and global social trends as well. The book will be of interest to researchers, university teachers and doctoral and masterâ••s students in the fields of sociology, social theory, critical sociology, philosophy of social sciences, innovation and societal transformation studies. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Information 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 List of Illustrations 7 Preface 8 1 Multi-Paradigmatic Sociology 12 The Confusing Situation 12 Are There Prospects for a Constructive Solution? 15 Vision of an Integrating Paradigm 18 The Paradigmatic Core of Sociological Knowledge 21 Symbolic Interactionism 21 Social Interaction as Exchange 23 Society as a Framework of Functional and Dysfunctional Interactions 25 The Paradigm of the World System 27 Conclusion 29 References 30 2 Paradigmatic Enhancement of Sociology 34 Introduction 34 The Search for Solutions 36 Determination Chains in Social Interactions 45 Openings and Closures 49 Conclusions 53 References 55 3 Upgrading of Social Innovation Studies 58 Introduction 58 Variety and Complexity of Social Innovations 60 Conceptual Model of Social Innovation 63 Checking the Viability of the Conceptualization 68 Conclusions 71 References 73 4 Social Innovations in Crisis Management 77 Introduction 77 Determinants of Innovations in Crisis Management 79 Environmental Impacts on Innovations in COVID-19 Crisis Management 79 Technological Impacts on Innovations in COVID-19 Crisis Management 81 Economic Impacts on Innovations in COVID-19 Crisis Management 82 Political Impacts on Innovations in COVID-19 Crisis Management 83 Cultural Impacts on Innovations in COVID-19 Crisis Management 84 Actors in Social Innovations Supporting Crisis Management 85 Types of Actors in Innovation-Led Crisis Management 86 Modalities of Actors’ Participation in Innovations for Crisis Management 89 Relations of Social Innovations in Crisis Management 91 The Spread of Telemedicine as an Innovative Response to COVID-19 93 Social Innovation Processes in Crisis Management 97 Conclusions 103 Acknowledgment 104 References 104 5 Making History: Social Reality and Concepts 109 Making History in Interactions 109 For Historical Realism 110 The Practical Turn of the Utopia 112 Social Innovation Facing a Looming Crisis 118 Conclusion 122 References 123 6 Societal Transformations 125 The Post-Socialist Transition 125 Let Society Back in 130 The Post-Socialist Societal Transformations 133 Social Interactions in Societal Transformations 135 Conclusions 138 References 140 7 Interactions at the Level of Globality 143 The End of Globalization? 143 The Concept of Globality 146 Environmental Determination of Globality 148 Technological Determination of Globality 151 Economic Determination of Globality 153 Political Determinations of Globality 156 Cultural Determination of Globality 157 Conclusions 159 References 161 8 The COVID-19 as a Stress-Test for Sociology 164 The Challenge 164 Upgrading the Rationality of Global Interactions 167 Changing Conditions for Individualization 170 Spread of Instrumental Activism 173 Universalization of Value-Normative Systems 175 Conclusions 177 References 180 9 Concluding Remarks 183 Index 189 "The monograph The Paradigm of Social Interaction presents a paradigmatic synthesis in sociology. This is a reaction to the growing paradigmatic divisions in the discipline and an attempt at fostering the cumulative development of sociological knowledge. The suggested conceptual fusion includes micro-sociological interaction theories, recent theories of organizational interactions and the experience from the study on global trends. The intention is to support the building and explanatory application of middle-range theories in all action spheres and at all micro-, mezzo- and macro-social structural levels. The paradigmatic synthesis is developed around five analytical concepts of the determinants of social interactions: environmental, technological, economic, political and cultural complexes. Another conceptual framework fostering explanations consists of social actors, relations and processes as key parameters of the social interaction paradigm. The book also examines COVID pandemic as a multidimensional crisis, applying the synthetic paradigm as a heuristic tool and knowledge organizing framework. It is used in the studies on social innovations, societal transformations, and global social trends as well. The book will be of interest to researchers, university teachers, doctoral and Master students in the fields of sociology, social theory, critical sociology, philosophy of social sciences, innovation and societal transformation studies"-- Provided by publisher